trees and carols

Our sunroom is looking decidedly festive.

This little beauty ended up finding its way home with us last week. It was one of the misfits. We found it hidden in a little group of scrappy discounted trees and knew it was perfect. It's all dressed up now and brings a bit of Christmas cheer to the house. Now that it's finally gotten really cold we've spent the past few nights hanging out in this room with the stove on, admiring the sparkling lights. That one lonely present is going to have some friends pretty soon.

If that isn't enough cheer for you, how about this version of Carol of the Bells? I don't care if the Windham Hill Samplers can be a little cheesy sometimes, I like them and this song's my favorite. Gotta love those steel drums.

monday music: ella fitzgerald

Oh hey, it's December! Look at that. I still have photos from October that I keep meaning to put up here, but that will have to wait because today is Monday and I am all about the music.

Lately the boy has been thrifting some really great old records. We now have a pretty impressive collection of big band and jazz albums. I like to put on the livelier ones to dance around to when I'm hanging out at the house by myself. One of our latest acquisitions is this Ella Fitzgerald album. It's in great shape and really nice to have playing in the background at just about any time.

first snow

Back before we got all that snow dumped on us, we got a little preview of what mother nature had in store. The first snow was very mild and pretty to look at, though strange to wake up to on an October morning. The flowers were still out...

monday music: fleet foxes

I couldn't not post this video today. It's a bit darker and weirder than the music videos I usually post, but it's also beautiful, just as the song is.

I seem to remember posting about my love of Fleet Foxes ages ago, and I like them even more now after seeing them live twice. They sound absolutely amazing live, and I highly recommend going to see a show if you ever get the chance. This song was one of my favorites when I saw them back in September.

The Shrine / An Argument from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

adventures in color

A few shots of the tie-dye class I took last month. It was lots of fun and very inspiring.

the illustrated word

Sometimes words are made better when there are pictures to go along. Perhaps that's why these books below are some of my very favorites.

The Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. Illustrated by Keith Thompson. Intricate and sharp depictions of metal and gears with victorian flair. Hidden identities and fantastical animal species.

The Hobbit. Written and Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien. Maps and quests, mountain ranges and a fearsome dragon.

The Little House Books. Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams. Black and white drawings of covered wagons and life on the prairie. These classics wouldn't be the same without the charming illustrations.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy. Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Dark magic in a mysterious wood, talking animals, giant birds and brave bandits. Quirky and colorful.

Swallows and Amazons, written and illustrated by Arthur Ransome. Sailboats, an island, Robinson Crusoe and summer adventure.

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Sometimes I am very much a creature of habit. When I am used to something, that is what I do, and then when patterns shift and that thing drops out of my routine, it takes a very concerted effort to bring certain activities back into my daily life.

Like blogging.

Also exercise.

All of this is a very roundabout way of saying that we lost power in the freak October snowstorm. I could barely believe my eyes when we woke up to this.

It felt even stranger the night before, watching the whole sky light up with bright green flashes as power lines were taken out. Very eerie indeed.

Things have been a bit simpler lately. More candles, more reading, earlier to bed. It's not terribly exciting but it's nice in its own way. But I have film from pre-snow days that I hope to share here soon, and more pictures to take as the holidays draw near. It's nice to return to my own little corner of the internet as the days get shorter.

another rainy day

Today looked like this outside.

But that was alright, because I had all of this inside.

Most of the time I find myself busy or working on days like these, when all I want to do is settle down with a good movie and a cup of tea, but this afternoon I was able to do just that. Lazy days are nice.

daily food

Sometimes simple is best. Breakfast this morning was toast with almond butter and homemade ginger-peach jam. I sprinkled chia seeds over the top because they're supposed to be some kind of miracle food or something....

the return of summer

Over the weekend the weather shifted from cool back to summer heat! Today we decided to take full advantage of this last taste of warm weather by going to the beach. I half expected things to be cooler by the shore, but the sun and sand were hot and it felt almost like August except for the changing leaves. The water on the other hand seemed to know exactly what month we were in. It was quite brisk, but I was determined to get one last swim in and, once my body adjusted, it felt surprisingly good to splash around in the cold... especially knowing I could run back to my warm towel and take a nap in the sun.

color riot

I've been having fun with fabric dyes again.